Snack bars are a convenient way to eat in a rush and still get important nutrients. They are also very popular; in 2010 there were 550 new cereal bars launched in the U.S. Unfortunately, not all the snack bars found in the supermarket are healthy. Many contain too many added sugars and sodium, and they don’t contain enough nutrient dense calories. They can also be expensive. As an alternative, snack bars that are healthier.

Steps

Method1

Components

1

Decide when the snack bar will be eaten. The snack bar may contain different components depending on when it is going to be consumed. The ingredients of a bar made for breakfast would typically differ from a bar made for post workout consumption. That doesn’t mean you can’t eat your snack bar anytime of the day; it just helps you supplement your diet with what is nutritionally required when you only have time for a meal replacement.

For a breakfast bar, you should aim to include protein, carbohydrates, fruit or veggies and some good fat into it. The bar should be large enough that when eaten with a glass of milk, you feel satiated. One and a half to 2.5 oz. (42 to 70 g) is a good starting point for the size of the bar.

For a post workout bar, you should aim to have protein and carbohydrates. The bar should contain 12 to 18 g of protein and 50 to 75 g of carbohydrate per serving.

For a general snack bar, you should aim for a bar that will satiate you until the next meal without filling you with empty calories. A breakfast bar or a post workout bar will work just fine as a snack. Whole grains and protein will help satiate you and won’t leave you feeling sluggish. It is important to keep the amount of fat down and the sugars to a minimum to avoid getting sleepy or crashing.

2

Choose your grains. The snack bar can be made into a soft, chewy bar that is more dense (consistency of a brownie), it can be very grainy and hard (consistency of granola cereal bar), or it can be grainy and chewy (chewy cereal bar).

For a soft, chewy bar you should use whole grain flours. Some good flours to choose from are whole wheat, whole white wheat, multi-grain, oat flour, and rye flour. These work well with savory as well as sweet bars and will add in extra fiber and vitamins. The whole grain flours also help manage blood glucose levels because the whole grains are less starchy and digest slower, keeping glucose levels in the blood steady. Since whole grain flours absorb more water (not just immediately, but also after they have been baked), it’s important to add more water to your recipe than you would use when cooking with refined white flour. These flours also contain more oils and will develop a rancid “cardboard” flavor sooner than refined flours. To help avoid this ‘off’ flavor, use fresh flour (check dates on the flour before purchasing), and keep it in an airtight container after opening. It may be helpful to buy small bags of flour to keep it from sitting in the cabinet too long. You can also add oats, cooked quinoa, cooked rice, wheat bran and other grains to the mixture to vary the texture and add more nutrition.

For grainy bars, you should also use whole grains. However instead of flours, use the actual grains themselves. Ingredients like quinoa and rice will need to be cooked before use, while oats, flax and hemp can be used toasted or plain (quick cook oats work best when using oats). If you are making the bar crunchy, then dry out the quinoa in an oven before using. If you are using rice, then buy puffed rice cereal for a crispy cereal bar because it is cheap and easier than puffing rice at home. Seeds and nuts are also a great option to improve nutrition and taste, and they work in both savory and sweet bar recipes. Some seeds and nuts to try are almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, which will add protein and good fat to the bar.

3

Choose your binder. The binder is an ingredient that acts like a glue to hold everything together.

Soft chewy bars do not need a binder because they are dense and the flour holds everything together.

Try to use ingredients that serve more than one purpose; for instance, peanut butter is source of fat and protein and will hold your bar together.

When using beans, cook, drain and mash them up before use and mix with something sticky, like honey or almond butter.

All these ingredients are nutrient dense because they serve a function in the bar and have macro and micronutrients in them.

4

Choose your sweetener.

Not all bars need a sweetener in them but if you do decide to add one, keep in mind that it can also act as a binder.

It is best to use liquid sweeteners to make the bars, but this is not a requirement. Granulated sugar or brown sugar can be used, but it will need to be melted first and will work best if mixed with butter to keep it from solidifying too quickly. The butter will also help it mix evenly with the other ingredients in your bar.

You can use an artificial sweetener in your recipe as long as it is very soluble in water; Sucralose works well in this low-moisture application because it dissolves easily in water.

5

Choose your inclusions. Inclusions are ingredients added for taste and health purposes. Inclusions work best when used in pieces. All the pieces should be roughly the same size for even distribution.

Soy nuts are great for adding protein and crunch. Soy is one of the few plant-based proteins that is a complete protein; it contains all the essential amino acids the human body needs. Having said that, any nut is a good source of protein, even if it is not a complete protein, because nuts contain many amino acids the body uses for refueling and muscle repair.

Adding an inclusion for protein may not be necessary because most of the whole grains or binders used will contain a fair amount of protein already. For instance, quinoa, flax and hemp are complete proteins. Also, combinations of ingredients will achieve greater protein content. Conversely, beans and rice are not complete proteins on their own, but together they create a complete protein.

Other inclusions that work well are Edamame, chocolate nibs, dried fruit pieces, raisins, nuts and seeds, low-moisture vegetables, and yogurt bits. These all serve a health purpose and add good flavor.

Cranberries are good for both men and women because they help prevent the adherence of bacteria throughout the urinary tract.

Dark chocolate is a mood enhancer and full of antioxidants, which adds additional value to your bars.

When making your bars, don’t put too many inclusions into them or the bars will not hold together properly.

6

Choose your spices.

Cinnamon is a classic flavor and it has the highest antioxidant content of all the spices. This makes it good for you and good for the shelf life of your bars. When using cinnamon in a soft chewy bar, use it sparingly because it will affect how well the bar stays together.

Other spices to try are soy powder or sauce, Worcestershire powder or sauce, cardamom, nutmeg, or clove.

Remember that a little spice will go a long way, so be careful when adding spices.

Spices are optional and can be omitted from your chosen recipe.

Method2

Cooking Methods

1

Precook any ingredients that are not ready to use.

Some items may need steaming, such as rice or carrots.

Some items may need to be dried or toasted, such as quinoa or oats.

Sugar and butter may need to be melted.

2

Mix the ingredients. The ingredients should be mixed evenly.

When making a soft, chewy bar you will be adding items to a thick batter. As such, you will need to make sure the particles are suspended evenly so that they do not fall to the bottom of your bars.

If the inclusions you have chosen are too heavy, try smaller pieces. Alternatively, try drying them out. For example, walnuts may need to be chopped into small pieces as well as slightly dried to ensure they stay suspended in your mixture.

3

Bake the bars. Most bars need to be baked to keep everything together and to ensure that all the raw starches are properly cooked.

The mixture should be spread into a baking pan at the desired thickness.

Setting your oven to a temperature of 350 °F (177 °C) should be sufficient.

Bake times will vary depending on the type of bar you are preparing.

For thick batters, use a toothpick to check the bars are cooked adequately. Stick the toothpick in the middle; when the toothpick is removed and contains no raw batter, the bars are done. For other bars, bake until desired level of crunchy or chewy.

Some bars can be made quickly and don’t require baking, but do need refrigeration; these are the bars that have no raw flour in them. An example would be a peanut butter and granola bar.

Method3

Storing and Preserving

1

Cut the bars once cooled completely.

If you cut into the bars before they are fully cooled, they will stick to each other.

2

Determine the best way to store the bars. If you intend to eat them within two days, the bars can be covered and left to sit out at room temperature because of their low moisture content. The more sugar a bar contains, the safer it is to store it at room temperature because the sugar absorbs moisture and creates an environment that is hard for bacteria to thrive in. If they are going to be consumed over a longer period of time, you will need other options.

Vacuum seal individual bars to keep them at room temperature. The oxygen free environment reduces the chances that bacteria can grow. These can be kept in a cabinet for up to 5 days.

Refrigerate the bars. This is the safest and best way to store them. In the fridge, the bars can last 7 to 10 days. Be wary of other foods in the fridge because the bars may have a tendency to pick up volatile flavors, like onion, which can ruin their taste.

Freeze the bars. Bars can be frozen for an indefinite period of time without worry of microbiological contamination. However, the quality of the bars will degrade. It is best to freeze homemade snack bars for up to one month for optimum quality. Freezing will slowly dehydrate the bars, and, since they have so little moisture to begin with, too long in the freezer will cause them to crumble. Also, the moisture that comes out of the food can cause ice crystals on the surface of the food, which acts like a knife to the food breaking the texture.